Taphonomy
Before us lies the body what's left
of body bones their patterns
on the patterned dirt a tuft of fur
the agile cast
of grass shadows
Corpus corporeal corpse the course
of flesh unwinding from its frame
unwinding
Caught in the passion
of attnetion we note
the jawbone dragged perhaps
by coyotes the soil
sifting into space the mind
once filled we follow
weather's slow narrative
we study the body
successions of insects
economies of rot
We squat in this century's
sunlight dust crusting already our boots
our hands the backs of our necks as
understanding accretes its hard
mineral weight thoughts caught
in each layered image this
death this moment this
© Elizabeth Dodd